Added: 09.07.2015 23:52 | 6 views | 0 comments

A "Special Look" at Star Wars: The Force Awakens

J.J. Abrams, the director of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, is hosting a panel on July 10 at San Diego Comic-Con. Starwars.com said there will be a "special look" at the upcoming blockbuster. Fans also expect the unveiling of a brand-new trailer. (Photo: Corbis)

Han Solo and Chewbacca are back "home"

Harrison Ford and Peter Mayhew return to play Han Solo and Chewbacca, respectively. As the second Force Awakens trailer hinted, Han and Chewie haven't been flying the Millennium Falcon, but ultimately return "home" to their ship. (Photo: Disney)

The Force Awakens is Set 30 Years after Episode VI

With Luke, Leia and Han returning, the Star Wars timeline has been set for the next trilogy. The Force Awakens takes place thirty years after the Battle of Endor and the events of Return of the Jedi. (Photo: Corbis)

Rey & Finn Will Play Huge Roles

Daisy Ridley and John Boyega star as Rey and Finn in The Force Awakens, respectively. Despite rumors that she's from the desert planet Tattooine, Ridley says Rey is from Jakku. Finn is revealed to be a stormtrooper at the beginning of The Force Awakens trailer, but Boyega has hinted that might not be his actual role. (Photo: Disney)

The Search for Luke?

Your favorite characters from the original trilogy are set to return in The Force Awakens, but their roles are unclear. Rumors say Rey, Finn and Han are on the search for Luke Skywalker in Episode VII. (Photo: Corbis)

The Best Frickin' Pilot in the Galaxy!

Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis) will play the new character Poe Dameron in The Force Awakens. Details of his story in Episode VII are scarce, but Isaac said a certain princess has sent him on a mission. Isaac hasn't been shy about his character's skills, proclaiming that Dameron is "the best frickin' pilot in the galaxy!" (Photo: Disney)

Kylo Ren is the Bad Guy

Details are scant on the new big bad Star Wars antagonist Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). Ren will have big shoes to fill without Darth Vader in the upcoming trilogy. It doesn't hurt that Ren is the one wielding the crossguard lightsaber in The Force Awakens trailer. (Photo: Disney)

The Lovable Droids Will Return

Of course, a Star Wars film wouldn't be complete without everyone's favorite droids: R2-D2 and C-3PO. R2 and 3PO actually were the first characters confirmed for The Force Awakens. (Photo: Corbis)

Star Wars: Rogue One (2016)

The first anthology film of the Star Wars universe is titled Star Wars: Rogue One. The 2016 standalone movie is directed by Gareth Edwards (Godzilla). The plot is centered around a group of rebels on a mission to steal the Death Star plans. Rumors are swirling that Darth Vader will reprise his role for the film. (Photo: Corbis)

Han Solo Anthology Film

Disney announced that the second anthology film in the Star Wars universe will be a Han Solo origin film directed by Chris Miller and Phil Lord (The Lego Movie). Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) is rumored to be up for the role of the scoundrel. Paul fueled the fire by revealing that the official Star Wars Twitter feed is following him on social media. (Photo: Corbis)

John Williams returns to score The Force Awakens

Many fans worried that John Williams would not return to score the soundtrack for The Force Awakens, but those concerns were quelled when J.J. Abrams confirmed he would return for another film. (Photo: Corbis)

Added: 09.07.2015 18:15 | 5 views | 0 comments

How important is a first impression? In the case of a video game, a poor one can push you into the arms of another. That doesn't mean that the new game isn't good, or even amazing--but you've now turned away from that game, or postponed your time with it. Perhaps you will return, and perhaps you won't; that initial glimpse stays with you and colors your perception.

Class-based, massive online shooter PlanetSide 2 on the PlayStation 4 doesn't make a great first impression, whether you are new to the game, or have transitioned from the

As with most video game wars, your success is never assured, and with loss comes frustration: the frustration of being gunned down by an infiltrator equipped with a bolt-action rifle as you sprint from one doorway to another, the frustration of shooting a teammate as he crosses your path just as you begin firing at the enemy, the frustration of hearing the voiceover explain for the umpteenth time that you shouldn't shoot friendlies. (Thanks, repetitive narrator-man.) Death is rarely an annoyance in and of itself, however. Even if you frequently fall, engagements are too big for you to feel as if you have singlehandedly let down your teammates. If you only rack up a few kill assists in between spawns, there's still a sense of accomplishment. When there's madness in all directions, who can say whether the bullets you landed didn't divert the winds of conflict?

Not every moment you spend in PlanetSide 2 is in the midst of a massive firefight, however. There are uneventful stretches in which you and your squad capture facilities with little resistance, or amble ahead in tanks for many minutes on end, wishing there was something to shoot. Back at your faction's primary base, you might spend some time deciding how to spend the certification points you've earned during your hours and days of battle. This is your primary currency, and as is the case with so many free-to-play games, this currency accumulates slowly after the initial hours. When you feel vulnerable even when surrounded by the stolid armor of a lightning tank, it's only logical that you'd want to reinforce it. And when certs are slow to come, spending real-world money is a temptation.

I wouldn't call PlanetSide 2 "pay to win;" Too little rests on your individual performance for that moniker to be an apt one. Yet there are some conveniences that are difficult to resist, such as the ability to bypass login queues when you purchase a membership (that is, a paid subscription, which is $14.99 if you pay on a monthly basis). Given that queues are still frequent on some servers, that cost ends up feeling more like blackmail for an experience that should be a base-level expectation (playing as soon as you log in) rather than a premium perk.

Like so many big games with dozens of complex moving parts, your enjoyment of PlanetSide 2 on the PlayStation 4 rests on how forgiving you are of technical hiccups you would properly expect to be vanquished. As you play, the questions mount. "Why did that tank vanish into thin air after I fired my homing missile, and why did my missile then shoot into the sky?" "Why did my vehicle just sink through the geometry and explode?" "Does the view distance need to be this bad, even on a snowy continent?" You may never find answers--but you will temporarily forget you ever asked the questions when you and a squad of jump-pack-equipped light infantry swarm an enemy base, forcing the opposition onto the exterior platform where a friendly aircraft pilot guns them down with a laser cannon. At these moments, the troubles fade away, leaving only the frights and delights of planetary war.

Added: 09.07.2015 18:15 | 5 views | 0 comments

How important is a first impression? In the case of a video game, a poor one can push you into the arms of another. That doesn't mean that the new game isn't good, or even amazing--but you've now turned away from that game, or postponed your time with it. Perhaps you will return, and perhaps you won't; that initial glimpse stays with you and colors your perception.

Class-based, massive online shooter PlanetSide 2 on the PlayStation 4 doesn't make a great first impression, whether you are new to the game, or have transitioned from the

As with most video game wars, your success is never assured, and with loss comes frustration: the frustration of being gunned down by an infiltrator equipped with a bolt-action rifle as you sprint from one doorway to another, the frustration of shooting a teammate as he crosses your path just as you begin firing at the enemy, the frustration of hearing the voiceover explain for the umpteenth time that you shouldn't shoot friendlies. (Thanks, repetitive narrator-man.) Death is rarely an annoyance in and of itself, however. Even if you frequently fall, engagements are too big for you to feel as if you have singlehandedly let down your teammates. If you only rack up a few kill assists in between spawns, there's still a sense of accomplishment. When there's madness in all directions, who can say whether the bullets you landed didn't divert the winds of conflict?

Not every moment you spend in PlanetSide 2 is in the midst of a massive firefight, however. There are uneventful stretches in which you and your squad capture facilities with little resistance, or amble ahead in tanks for many minutes on end, wishing there was something to shoot. Back at your faction's primary base, you might spend some time deciding how to spend the certification points you've earned during your hours and days of battle. This is your primary currency, and as is the case with so many free-to-play games, this currency accumulates slowly after the initial hours. When you feel vulnerable even when surrounded by the stolid armor of a lightning tank, it's only logical that you'd want to reinforce it. And when certs are slow to come, spending real-world money is a temptation.

I wouldn't call PlanetSide 2 "pay to win;" Too little rests on your individual performance for that moniker to be an apt one. Yet there are some conveniences that are difficult to resist, such as the ability to bypass login queues when you purchase a membership (that is, a paid subscription, which is $14.99 if you pay on a monthly basis). Given that queues are still frequent on some servers, that cost ends up feeling more like blackmail for an experience that should be a base-level expectation (playing as soon as you log in) rather than a premium perk.

Like so many big games with dozens of complex moving parts, your enjoyment of PlanetSide 2 on the PlayStation 4 rests on how forgiving you are of technical hiccups you would properly expect to be vanquished. As you play, the questions mount. "Why did that tank vanish into thin air after I fired my homing missile, and why did my missile then shoot into the sky?" "Why did my vehicle just sink through the geometry and explode?" "Does the view distance need to be this bad, even on a snowy continent?" You may never find answers--but you will temporarily forget you ever asked the questions when you and a squad of jump-pack-equipped light infantry swarm an enemy base, forcing the opposition onto the exterior platform where a friendly aircraft pilot guns them down with a laser cannon. At these moments, the troubles fade away, leaving only the frights and delights of planetary war.